While pet ownership may be getting more expensive due to inflation and other factors, the United Kingdom has some of the highest rates of per capita pet ownership in Europe.
A survey by the United Kingdom’s Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association (PFMA) found that 62% of households owned some kind of pet in 2022. The survey of almost 9,000 UK households confirmed that dogs top the charts with 13 million, followed closely by cats with a population of 12 million. In a report by FEDIAF "Facts & Figures 2021,” The United Kingdom had the most aquariums compared to other European nations.
However in October, the BBC reported that pet abandonment in England and Wales increased by 25% during January through July, compared to the same period in the previous year, according to Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) data. Dog owners’ perceived that caring for dogs became less affordable in the United Kingdom in a survey of dog buyers conducted by Puppies.co.uk, an online dog breeder sales organization. Survey respondents’ perceived monthly dog care costs have risen by 94.66% compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic. On average, respondents reported that the cost of pet ownership increased to GBP108.89 (US$133.65) per month.
While pet ownership may be getting more expensive due to inflation and other factors, the United Kingdom has some of the highest rates of per capita pet ownership in Europe. The United Kingdom has the second highest per capita rate of dog ownership and the third highest rate of cat ownership. The companies listed below helped provide those pes with food. These companies appear in Petfood Industry’s Top Company’s Current Data, but not all had revenue figures available.
Arden Grange Pet Foods
Annual revenue: US$33,330,000
Brands: Arden Grange
Armitage Pet Care
Annual revenue: US$77,210,000
Brands: Good Boy, Meowee!, Wildbird, Wafcol
Burns Pet Nutrition
Annual revenue: US$30,900,000
Brands: Burns Dry Food Range Burns Wet Food Range Burns Treats Range
Tim Wall covers the dog, cat and other pet food industries as a senior reporter for WATT Global Media. His work has appeared inScientific American, Live Science, Discovery News, Honduras Weekly, Global Journalist and other outlets. He holds an M.A. in journalism and an M.S. in natural resources, both
from the University of Missouri - Columbia, along with a bachelor's degree in biology.
Wall served in the Peace Corps in Honduras from 2005 to 2007, where he coordinated with the town government of Moroceli to organize a municipal trash collection system, taught environmental science, translated for medical brigades and facilitated sustainable agriculture, along with other projects.
A new year brings new opportunities and excitement, and 2023 is bound to be the same, with several chances for advancing policy issues of importance to the U.S. animal food industry.
